


A Riddle Unto Itself

by pennedgalaxyarchive (pennedgalaxy)



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-24
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-02-26 22:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2668724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pennedgalaxy/pseuds/pennedgalaxyarchive
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A drabble series about the growing affection between Harvey Bullock and Edward Nygma.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This series will be updated sporadically, but I just needed to write some Nyllock since there is so little of it around.

Edward looked up from his newspaper, where he had been filling in the crosswords with a degree of focus that some would find intimidating, and caught sight of Harvey Bullock standing reluctantly in the doorway of his office.

"Oh good morning, detective!" Ed greeted with a small wave of his pen and a brief adjustment of his glasses.

"Morning, Nygma." Harvey replied. "You got that blood work I asked for?"

"Most certainly." Ed said as he stood up and pushed his chair underneath his desk. "Just let me have a look."

Harvey sighed in irritation and placed a hand in one of his coat pockets. “Be quick about it, don’t want Saint Jim getting cranky.”

Edward flailed a little, as he was known to do and began to hastily look around his office. On the walls newspaper clippings were pinned and old case files were spread across the floor, he had information on nearly everything and his filling system was one only he could navigate.

"Ah!" Edward exclaimed. "Here it is, Arron-Keller case, I believe?" He paused and outstretched his hand to give the other man a folded piece of paper. "Interesting fact about that, it was the lack of white blood cells that-"

"I really don’t have time to chat." Harvey interrupted. "But fuck yes, your blood work can actually put that wife beating scumbag away, I’m so goddamn pleased right now I could kiss you."

Before Ed could think of an intelligent retort or a pleased ‘your welcome’ Jim called Harvey’s name from across the hall. Harvey gave Ed a quick pat on his left shoulder before rushing out of the room to converse with his partner.

Now alone in his office Ed simply stammered and blushed silently, a part of him wondering what exactly kissing Harvey Bullock would be like.

"A riddle unto itself." He theorized internally as he rubbed sentimentally at his own shoulder, the one that had briefly felt the other man’s touch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter isn't really chronologically compliant but I wanted to write a little something, something for Christmas. It's a little early but like the rest of you I might be busy in the next couple of days.

It was Christmas eve and every member of the GCPD was mingling in the ballroom of some venue the mayor had rented for the city’s regular Christmas Party. Everyone who was anyone was there, Alfred and Bruce were sat in the corner observing the other guests as the night continued on, the mayor conversed politely with both Maroni and Falcone.

Even Jim and Oswald were there, although the two had seemingly disappeared some time ago, if Harvey had to think about it they were probably making out in some shadowed alcove, away from prying eyes. Harvey sighed and swigged what remained of his champagne float. “Complete sham of a holiday, but eh, free drinks are free drinks.” He remarked to himself with a shrug.

“Good evening, detective. How are you enjoying the festivities?” A voice questioned from Harvey’s left side.

Harvey jumped a little, startled by the other man’s presence. He hadn’t heard Ed sneak up on him. “Jesus, Nygma. Someone should put a bell on you.”

Edward laughed. “That sounds like something that could easily become counterproductive.”

Harvey rolled his eyes. “Whatever, geek boy.” Harvey paused and gave Edward a once over, Ed was wearing a dark green suit and a violet coloured tie. In Harvey’s opinion his clothing looked like some kind of poison mushroom, but it somehow seemed to suit the other man.

“Looking snazzy, Nygma.”

Ed blinked, loosened his tie and gestured to himself. “You mean this?” He questioned. “This used to be my grandfather’s.”

“Wow, now I’ve just lost all the respect I had for you. Rule one, kid, never wear your granddad’s clothes to a party, you know, unless your game is to not only offend the host, the guests but yourself as well.”

Ed blushed and looked down at the drink clutched in his right hand. “I, it’s not that bad is it?”

Harvey shrugged and turned to face Ed with an exasperated look upon his face. “Kid, no one’s going to be looking at you whilst I’m around. You could be naked for all anyone else knows and their attention would still be drawn to my impressively handsome mug.”

Ed chuckled at Harvey’s words. “A stronger man than I would find some way to contest your claims of beauty.”

“Oh?” Harvey raised an elegant eyebrow. “So you’re not denying I’m as hot as hell.”

Edward shrugged and simply took a sip of his drink. “I hardly have the data to deny what you assume to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.”

Harvey gave a crooked, lopsided smirk. “Touché, Nygma.” He paused and gave Edward a considering look. “I’m pretty sure you didn’t come over here to talk about my, _many_ , fine qualities.”

Ed smiled and pulled out a Christmas cracker he had been hiding inside the inner pocket of his suit jacket. “I was hoping that we might indulge in this particular custom together.”

Harvey shook his head in incredulous amusement, enjoying Christmas celebrations with Nygma, boy was he getting soft in his old age. “Don’t cry when I win, geek boy, remember your scrawny self asked for this.”

Edward held the cracker outstretched and waited for Harvey to grasp the end of it. “One, two, three!” He exclaimed and the both of them pulled at their end, it didn’t take long for Harvey’s superior strength to win out and with a bang he claimed his prize.

Harvey chuckled to himself and grabbed the paper hat from inside of the broken cracker, with a goofy grin he slid it over the top of the fedora he was already wearing. “I am the fucking king, man.”

Ed nodded and gestured to the remains of the cracker still held in Harvey’s hand. “You haven’t read the joke.” Ed remarked. “You have to read the joke, the joke’s the best part of the cracker.”

Harvey rolled his eyes. “Best part? There is no _best part_ of a Christmas cracker, it’s a universally acknowledged fact that Christmas crackers are god awful.” Harvey sighed, dipped his hand inside and pulled out a small scroll of paper. “Alright then, what do you get if you cross Father Christmas with a detective?”

Ed frowned as if trying to think of an answer. “A long list of dropped housebreaking charges?”

Harvey gasped a startled laughed and almost doubled over. “No.” He gasped out. “But damn if that isn’t on point, Nygma.” He turned the paper around and showed Ed the answer. “Santa Clues, but personally I like yours better.”

Ed grinned widely, his dimples on full display and he opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by the arrival of one Jim Gordon.

“Jimbo, how’s it going?” Harvey asked as he stuffed his hands inside of his trouser pockets.

Jim shrugged and gestured across the ballroom to Oswald. “Pretty good, the two of us are going to be leaving early-“

“You dog, you!”

“-so I thought I’d say goodbye whilst you’re sober enough to remember.”

“Oi, I resent that comment.” Harvey complained with a pointed glare at Jim.

Jim cast a glance skyward in exasperated amusement but paused when he noticed something above their head. He smirked and looked between Ed and Harvey with something almost akin to a leer. “Nice spot you’re standing in boys. Maybe I’ll stay a couple more minutes for the show.”

Harvey gave a confused frown. “Show, what show-“ He began before casting a glance to the ceiling, his eyes widened and he looked down again and immediately looked at Ed with surprised eyes. “Shit.”

Ed after hearing Harvey’s startled curse looked up as well and instantaneously blushed when he saw a lone branch of mistletoe hanging just above their heads. “I-” He stammered.

“I’m waiting.” Jim remarked, crossing his arm and looking expectantly between the two.

Ed flushed a deeper red and flailed his arms a little. “You don’t have-”

“Shut up, Nygma. Just _shut up,_ for once.” Harvey hissed before grabbing the other man by the lapels and crashing their lips together messily. 

Ed gasped at the feeling of Harvey’s lips upon his own, the scruff of Harvey’s beard against his chin did nothing to alleviate the oddness of the situation. Ed sighed and began working his lips against Harvey’s, boldly he pressed his tongue forward but was denied entrance when Harvey pulled away to glare at Jim.

 “Happy now?”

 Jim smirked. “Ecstatic.”

 “Now fuck off.”

 Jim grinned smugly and walked away, presumably so that he might leave with Oswald.

 Harvey groaned miserably and raked a hand through his beard hair. “Sorry about that Ed, didn’t want to look like a pussy in front of Jimbo, he’d never let me live it down.”

 Ed flailed his arms. “No!” He exclaimed. “I mean, no, it’s, it’s alright. I, I liked it.”

 “Oh?” Harvey raised a questioning, but also suggestive, eyebrow.

 “By which I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed if you wanted to give me another.”

 Harvey smiled, a leer stretching out across his face. “Heh, I’ll remember that, geek boy.” He paused and looked over his shoulder at where Jim and Oswald had been, the two of them were now gone. “How about we get out of here and have our own party back at my place?”

 Ed blinked and shuffled where he stood. “I would like that.”

 With a final swig of his drink, Ed straightened his jacket and followed Harvey out of the door.

 

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is based/is a sequel to chapter two and chapter seven of my other series, Gotham Prompts. Can be read on it's own but a little backstory might be good?

Edward groaned and paced awkwardly around the room, his office was cleaner than it had ever been, his files were organised alphabetically and his suit was dry cleaned and had been ironed to perfection. Soon his father would arrive to consult on a case the GCPD had been trying their best to keep under wraps, he felt anxious at the mere thought of watching his father work, even more so at the thought of him seeing how he worked in turn.

He straightened his tie and prepared himself mentally for what was to come.

"Commissioner Loeb." A deep aristocratic voice greeted from Ed's peripheral.

Ed squeaked at the sight of his father only a couple of meters away. "He's here!" He exclaimed to himself as he dusted off his suit jacket and buttoned up his collar.

Ed's father stood near the entrance, his hair was a dark brown that was graying extensively at the edges, resting on the tip of his nose was a pair of raven rimmed glassed and upon further inspection he wore a pine green tweed suit with matching corduroy trousers. As always he wore a stern expression painted across the harsh canvas of his face.

"Who's here?"

Ed jumped where he stood; the words had been whispered in his ear. Ed frowned and looked over his shoulder with annoyance and Detective Bullock looked back at him with an eyebrow curiously raised. "Detective?" He greeted with a questioning tone.

"Nygma." Harvey replied with a nod and an overly dramatic hat tip.

It had been a while since the two of them had talked privately, the last time they had adequately conversed was the time wherein they had gotten drunk together. A night of which he could barely recall. "I thought you and Detective Gordon had a case?"

Harvey shrugged. "The guy made our job easy and confessed, the lawyers are already trying to work out a plea deal for the shmuck."

"That sounds...unpleasant."

Harvey gave a crooked grin and clapped Ed on the shoulder good naturedly. "You don't know the half of it, man." Harvey paused and eyed where Ed's attention had once been. "So, you gunna clue me in on what's got you so rattled? Or are you going to make me play twenty questions 'till we get somewhere?"

"I'm sure your answers would be rather informative." Edward mused with a smirk.

Harvey rolled his eyes and placed both of his hands inside his pockets. "Oh alright, my favorite color is red and my first kiss was with a gal named Cindy Lewis, way back in ninth grade, if I'm guessing right. Anyway, now onto your problems."

Edward sighed and pointed delicately at his father. "That man speaking with Commissioner Loeb?"

"Oh yeah, that hoity-toity geeky grandpa?"

"That's my father."

"Oh."

Edward gave him a questioning gaze. " _Oh?_ "

Harvey shrugged and raised his hands up in mock defeat. "Just saying I'm starting to get why you're all so..."

"Intelligent?"

"Awkward, I was going to say awkward, but whatever floats your boat."

Before Ed could even think of a reply he felt a crawling sensation run up his spine, looking away from Harvey, his eyes locked with his father's. Him and Loeb had just finished discussing the case that the elder Nygma had been called in to investigate.

"Father." Edward greeted as he crossed his arms over his chest.

His father gave a brief, acknowledging, nod. "Edward."

"Ah." Commissioner Loeb began. "Alistair, I shall leave you and your boy to catch up. I'll be in my office when you're ready."

Alistair nodded to Loeb and gave Edward a once over. "It's been a while since you last called."

Edward shrugged and avoided eye contact as best as he could. "I was studying for my certification."

Alistair elevated a condescending eyebrow. "Which you _failed_ , if I remember correctly."

Edward heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Which I still don't understand, I've manipulated the data and-"

"I called in a favor."

"-you called in a favor? To, _to sabotage me?_ "

From behind Ed, Harvey gave a hiss. "Wow, I'm starting to think my family was the cream of the crop."

At the sound of his remark Alistair's laser gaze focused in on the detective. "And who might you be?"

"Harvey Bullock, detective and a pal of your little Eddie." Harvey replied as he outstretched his hand.

Alistair Nygma frowned, sneered as if he had been insulted and pointedly he refused the handshake the other man had offered. "Charmed."

"Back to the matter at hand, father. You _purposely_ told someone to reject my certification?"

 Alistair gave a rough exasperated exhale. "I want you to be at your best, son."

 "I've been doing well working with the GCPD!"

 "Not well enough, you're just not ready."

 "You don't get to decide that, dad."

 " _You_ _are my son_ , I'm only pushing you to be your best."

 Edward fumed but before he could say another word he saw Harvey move closer into view.

 "Woah there Papa Nygma, give your kid some space."

 Alistair looked at Harvey with a mixture of curiosity and inherent dislike. “ _My kid_ , as you call him, isn’t any of your concern.”

 Ed watched as an unusual expression spread across Harvey’s face. “Hmm, I’d like to say strike one but you’ve already clocked in three and then some.” Harvey leaned forward and poked a finger at Alistair’s chest. “So you listen here bucko, fixing test results happens to be _illegal_ and personally I've had it up to here with your ‘caring father’ routine, if it looks like an asshole and smells like an asshole, it probably _is_ an asshole.” Harvey paused. “And do you know what I think you are? That’s right, an asshole.”

Alistair clenched his fists and hissed at Ed. “Are you going to let him to talk to me like that?”

Edward shrugged. “Perhaps it would be best if you finished your meeting with Loeb.”

Alistair glared at his son, brushed past Harvey angrily and stormed into Loeb’s office, his feathers thoroughly ruffled.

“You alright, Ed?”

Ed shook his head dismissively. “No. Yes? I’m unsure.”

Harvey’s face softened and he looked at Ed with understanding eyes. “Is he always like that?”

“Depends on how you define  _always_ .”

Harvey shook his head in disbelief. “I’m going to take that as a yes, geek boy.”

“I’d rather  _not_ talk about my familial failings.”

Harvey placed his hands in his pockets and a crooked smile spread across his face. “Heh, we could always talk about  _mine_ .”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In most origin stories of The Riddler, his father is usually a dumb aggressive man who belittles Edward for his intelligence. So I decided to shake that up a bit and have his father be a very intelligent man who pushed Edward to be the best, even by putting road blocks in his way. He's still abusive just in a more cunning and a conniving way.


	4. Chapter 4

When Harvey and Jim had got the call about a robbery in main street Harvey had raised a single eyebrow, skeptical and irritated in equal measure. He had been hoping the day would go off without much of a hitch, that maybe Gotham would cut him some slack. All he wanted was to finish up the day, go home, maybe grab a pizza and wash it down with a swig of scotch.  Instead he was stuck outside, his gun trained on some nutcase who was obviously a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic basket.

Harvey sighed, raised his gun and shot at the man currently trying to rob Gotham National. The bullet missed, landing in the concrete at the man's feet, the criminal growled and seemed to only grow angrier at the near miss. God, criminals these days were getting to be  _so_ sensitive, next they'd need to start giving them hugs instead of straight jackets.

He ducked behind cover and signaled to Jim to move closer, his partner nodded and tried to flank the criminal of the week. Harvey rolled to the next cob car, he hid behind the metal door and occasionally moved to fire over the bonnet.

Harvey distracted the criminal until Jim managed to shoot him in the knee, unluckily for Harvey the gun went off in the man's hand. He felt the bullet tear through his shoulder, he felt the skin shred and his muscle rip at the intrusion. He felt his blood flow out and stain his coat, he groaned as he fell to the ground. 

Harvey's eyes fluttered, his final thought before he blacked out, to the sound of Jim shouting his name with concern, was about how huge his dry cleaning bill was going to be.

When Harvey next woke up it was to the smell of disinfected air and to the sight of light streaming through the dim hospital curtains. A hand full of 'get well soon' cards were propped up against the windowsill, a red, nearly deflated, balloon was tied to his IV stand and atop the bedside table was a vase filled with several wilted tulips

He groaned and rubbed at his beard with the back of right hand. "Ugh, what the fuck happened...?"

"You got shot in your left shoulder. Lost almost two liters, give or take, and have been in and out of consciousness for about three days." Harvey heard a familiar voice tell him from the doorway.

With difficulty and more than a little pain he looked towards the door, standing there awkwardly was Ed, dressed in an off green suit and carrying a bouquet of sunflowers. Harvey gave a low whistle. "Looking sharp, Nygma, what's the occasion?"

Ed gave a small smile, entered the room and moved towards the bedside table, Harvey's eyes followed him even as he replaced the dying flowers with the fresh. "You are." He began. "That is to say, you being still alive and surprisingly not crippled." 

Harvey chuckled and regretted it immediately. "Ow, fuck." Harvey hissed as he cupped his shoulder. 

Ed blinked and almost instinctively reached out for him, his eyes widened in surprise when he caught himself mid movement and quickly he retracted his hand. "Are you alright?"

Harvey gave Ed a dismissive wave with his right hand. "I'm just peachy. Never been better, really."

"Jim'll be pleased to hear that." Ed replied with an odd tone of voice.

Harvey shook his head incredulously. "That bastard, his fault I got shot in the first place."

Ed frowned thoughtfully and shuffled on the balls of his feet. "His take down was a little sloppy."

At that Harvey's lips curled into a minute smirk. "Bringing me flowers and now siding with me against Saint Jim, Nygma? A guy might get the wrong idea."

At this Ed's cheeks reddened. "That's, well. I, that is to say."

"Relax, man, I'm just jerking your chain. Unless you've got something to tell me, that is."

For moment Ed considered telling Harvey of his concern, of his apprehension when he had first heard the news, when he first heard that Harvey had been shot. For a moment Ed considered telling him about how on the first day of Harvey's admittance he had brought roses instead of sunflowers. He considered it, but instead he shook his head and averted his eyes.

"No." He started. "Nothing at all."


End file.
